If you build it, they will come…

If only it were that simple! There’s no doubt that tasting rooms are a great way to attract new customers and keep loyal customers salivating. Yet, amongst the hundreds of wineries from which consumers have to choose, does yoursstand out from the crowd in a way that’s actually increasing your tasting room sales?

Indeed, wineries have discovered some very clever tactics to lure visitors into their tasting rooms - comped tasting with purchase or club sign-up, tasting room only wines, VIP lounge, art, music, flowers, food, etc. Nevertheless, while discounts and dog-friendly patios can get potential customers in the door, what about the visitor experience (and potential for sales) once they’re ready to walk back out that door?

Must they wait in a long line only to potentially get impatient, rethink the necessity/practicality of the purchase, and completely abandon ship? What if you’re hosting an evening event and the tasting room is closed? Surely, they’ll come back and purchase next time… or go home and buy the wine online. Right? RIGHT??!!

If you build it, will they come back? And will they buy wine?

That depends on the last thing they remember.

Your visitors came to you because they were interested in trying your wines and perhaps a friend or wine professional recommended it. It’s your responsibility to make sure everything that happens during the visit requires as little effort as possible for your guest… including buying wine. Exposing guests to purchase options conveniently and before they’re ready to walk out the door is key.

So how do you do that?

Luckily for tasting room staff, Tablet POS software has made catering to visitors as painless as pouring for them…and it’s increasing sales to boot. While seated at their tables, during a lull in their bocce ball game, or while listening to that amazing band you booked to play on your patio, guests can complete cloud-based purchases in a matter of seconds. Moreover, with no separate checkout process, the employee that pours for your guests - the person they’ve been learning from, engaged with, and now trust - also rings up the sale. When you combine the tasting and purchasing experience, the two not only become inseparable, but inevitable.

"The functionality and convenience of Tablet POS is second to none. Our winery does close to thirty small events and concerts a year, and the the Tablet POS is imperative to the success of all them."

In 1973, Philip Kotler wrote an article in the Journal of Retailing where he describes the impact of retail space on purchase behavior:

Influencing the (purchase) probability is the sensory quality of the space surrounding the purchase object...

One of the most important recent advances in business thinking is the recognition that people, in their purchase decision-making, respond to more than simply the tangible product or service being offered. The tangible product – a pair of shoes, a refrigerator, a haircut, or a meal – is only a small part of the total consumption package. Buyers respond to the total product. It includes the services, warranties, packaging, advertising, financing, pleasantries, images, and other features that accompany the product.

If you build it, they will buy…

... but only if you build an exceptional experience from start to finish. If you simply build a room in which they drink and wait/leave empty-handed, they will remember how simple your efforts were to woo them.